South Dakota's George S. Mickelson Trail is a 109 mile, multiuse recreational trail that runs through the heart of the Black Hills. The Mickelson Trail is one of the United States premier "Rails to Trails" projects that began in 1983 after the abandonment of the railroad by Burlington Northern Railroad Company. A group of Black Hills citizens organized a grass roots movement to convert the abandoned railroad grade into a recreational trail. In 1998, the trail was officially dedicated and named in honor of the late George S. Mickelson, South Dakota's 28th Governor and staunch proponent of the trail system. The Mickelson Trail is a must see and do for residents and visitors alike. The trail meanders through Ponderosa Pine forests, over mountainous streams, and transverses across narrow valleys connecting the communities of Edgemont, Custer, Hill City, Mystic, Rochford, Lead and Deadwood along the crushed limestone trail. Please consult the Mickelson Trail Guide from the South Dakota Game Fish 86 Parks (SD-GF86P) for mileage, elevation change, trailheads and water availability.
This interpretative panel was developed using funds from the 2014 - 2016 South Dakota Department of Transportation US Highway 85 reconstruction project.
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